A Version of Me
by XenaLives
Summary: Because I just can't stay away from 03 x 12. Just too many loose ends and plot lines left unexplored. Imagine a season 3 without Nate St. Germaine. The meeting at the cemetery happens as planned...or does it?
1. Chapter 1

Paige made a concerted effort to pedal casually through town and, for the hundredth time, questioned her decision to ride her bike instead of drive to the cemetery. Her desire for stealth and maneuverability over speed and security now seemed like the wrong one as her eyes scanned the streets for threats and hidden dangers. She felt like, the few people who were out at this hour, were staring. She felt exposed and afraid and as if her intentions, desires and her fears were on display for the whole world to see.

It had been a long time between the initial text from A about the Saturday meeting at 10 pm and it was made even longer by Paige's desperate attempts to keep Emily from knowing what she was up to. Paige felt like such a jerk and she was sure Emily thought she was too. She barely got the words out of her mouth. How she wasn't going to leave her side, she'd be there with her through the trial when she got the text and she bolted with the weak excuse of "family stuff". She spent the next 24 hours ignoring her phone calls and making sure she didn't run into her anywhere. Paige felt even worse when she thought about Emily being alone. Because of the rift with her friends right now she wasn't sure Emily could count on them for support.

Paige pedaled faster as the streets got quieter and darker as she left the center of town and neared the definitely did not want to be lingering around here making herself a target. Her heart began to race as she approached the main gates and wondered, for the first time, where in the cemetery she was supposed to go. She hopped off her bike and began walking it up a central path. For lack of any better idea she decided to head to Allison's grave as that was the most likely spot for something awful to happen which, she figured, was the only way this night could end. She wasn't entirely certain where the site was but thought it couldn't be that hard to find an empty grave surrounded my crime scene tape.

As she walked deeper into the cemetery the night became darker as she distanced herself from the street and the paths became narrower and more convoluted as they wended their way through the markers and monuments. Paige couldn't help but think of one of the last things she told Emily. That she would protect her with her life. She meant it sincerely but, just as sincerely, hoped she didn't have to prove it tonight. Somewhere nearby she heard car doors slamming reminding her, again, how much she wished for her car.

She crested a small hill and saw several people shaped shadows moving in a group ahead of her. She quickly stepped off the path and into the cover of some trees. She leaned her bike up against the nearest tree and peered out at the group. Three of four of them maybe she couldn't be sure. She heard the low murmur of voices but couldn't make out a single word. Was A a group of people? She hadn't even thought of that. Was that Allison's grave they were huddled around? Her heart pounded in her chest and she thought,fleetingly, for someone with nearly two days to think about this meeting she was woefully unprepared. She had no idea what she was going to do. She patted her pockets. She hadn't even brought a flashlight. God, she thought, if I could just do one smart thing. She looked down at her bike and, as quietly as she could manage, turned it around so it was facing back the way she had come for as quick a getaway as she could manage given all the other crap decisions she had made so far tonight. She hoped against hope that her biggest mistake wasn't showing up at all. No, she banished that thought from her head. They threatened Emily. She had to come. Maybe she could put a stop to this once and for all.


	2. Chapter 2

Paige checked her watch. 10:02. It's now or never she thought and stepped out from the trees. She approached the group quietly. They had their backs to her talking around the empty grave. Huh, she thought, no crime scene tape. She continued her approach and watched with equal parts interest and apprehension as one of the group separated and jogged off into the woods carrying a duffel bag in their hands.

As she got closer she could make out voices. Voices she recognized. She saw a flash a blonde hair in the moonlight. Hannah? That would make the other two Aria and Spencer. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and quickened her pace. The fear she had been feeling lessened and made room for no small amount of confusion and anger. She was close to them and a branch snapped beneath her foot. The three girls whirled around confirming their identities.

Paige walked up to within a few feet of them looking questioningly from one face to the other. Her gaze was returned with grim determination from the girls. Spencer stepped forward to meet her. "So, you came."

Paige couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips. "Is this some kind of joke? Because if it is it's not funny." She continued to look back and forth between the three of them.

Spencer replied. "The joke's on you Paige and it's over. You'll never get what you want until you tell us where Emily is!" Spencer was stepping closer as she spoke and backing Paige up off the path.

"What?" Paige's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Where's Emily…" her confusion increased and her heart started to hammer again. "I haven't talked to her since yesterday afternoon."

The other girls remained silent satisfied that Spencer has everything under control. "Cut the crap Paige and tell us why you're doing this. You're not going to get Maya's bag otherwise." Spencer continued to advance on her.

Paige shook her head and tried to make sense of what she was hearing. "I don't know what you're talking about." She reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. "I got a text yesterday from A telling me to meet here tonight at 10:00 or….."

Spencer slapped the phone out of her hand and sent it flying. Hannah crouched in the grass feeling around for it a picked it up. "You're lying. Tell us who you're working with? Is Alison alive? Are you and Mona working together?"

Spencer advanced on her again and Paige was at a loss for what to say. She had no idea what was going on. "Spencer, please, I know you think I'm A but I'm not. I came here tonight because I thought…."

Spencer, her fists clenched, snarled her next words. "Shut up! We know who you are, Pigskin!"

Paige's head snapped back like she had been slapped and made to move back another step. Her foot met empty air and she was helpless to stop herself as she fell backwards into Alison's empty grave. Her arms flailed wildly against the sides of the grave dislodging dirt and rocks on the way down. She gasped and let out cry of alarm that was immediately cut short as her back connected solidly with the bottom six feet down and all the air was forced out of her lungs.

Paige raised her dirt covered hand to her chest as dirt, leaves and stones rained down around her. She opened and closed her mouth willing her diaphragm to quit spasming so she could take a breath. After what seemed like eternity and she very nearly passed out she managed her first shuddering breath. Then another. She rolled onto her side gasping and coughing.

The earth smelled damp and she hoped she was only imagining the smell of decay. She couldn't see well at all but imagined all the worms, spiders and insects skittering around maybe in her clothes. In her hair. She dragged herself to her feet and looked up to see the three girls staring down at her with various levels of alarm.

Hannah spoke first. "Paige, are you…."

"Quiet, Hannah!" Spencer cut her off.

Paige reached up and could just reach level ground with her flat of her hand but knew there was no way she was getting out without help. Her breathing was coming fast and shallow. "Spencer, please. Get me out of here!" She pleaded.

"I don't think so, I think this is exactly where you deserve to be." Spencer smirked.

Paige could see Aria and Hannah looked uncomfortable at the turn of events. Paige stared up at Spencer's angry eyes for another beat and then slowly brought her arms down to cross them over of her chest. She wasn't going to beg. Not like this. She took a deep breath and a step back to avoid having to crane her neck so much to see them.

She saw the other girls turn at a sound she couldn't hear. She heard racing footsteps and the sound of Emily's voice. "What's going on? What are you guys doing here?" Emily sounded out of breath." I've been looking for you and I saw Spencer's car parked at the gate."

Emily looked down into the grave and saw Paige for the first time. "What the hell! Oh, my God Paige!" She looked at her friends. "What do you think you're doing?!

"Finally getting some answers, Emily!" Spencer snapped and reached out to put a hand on Emily's arm.

Emily shook her off. "Get off! Are you crazy?!" She looked around and spied an old wooden ladder leaning up against the mound of dirt removed from the grave. Probably how they were getting in and out to look for evidence and to clean it out in preparation for the eventual return of Alison's remains.

Emily dragged the ladder over and tipped one end into the grave. She held the top steady. She looked down at Paige and saw her hesitate. "Paige" she said softly. "it's alright. Come on."

Paige slowly climbed the ladder and took Emily's outstretched hand at the top to help get her feet on the ground. Emily wrapped Paige up in her arms and kissed her cheek. She pulled away and looked at her. "Are you alright?" Emily picked a leaf out of her hair.

"Yeah." Paige breathed. "I just want to get out of here."

"Hold it!" Spencer interrupted. "Emily, she's here….she's A.! Ask her about the earring!" Spencer seemed on the verge of madness trying to get answers.

Emily stepped in front of Paige and between her and Spencer to protect Paige from continued onslaught. "Have you guys completely lost your minds?" Emily noticed Aria had the decency to look uncertain and apologetic. Hannah was playing with her phone.

"Just ask her." Spencer insisted.

"What earring?" Paige was curious now.

Emily turned to her and sighed. "When Spencer and Hannah went through your bag at the trunk show they found an earring. One of the earrings that Aria had placed in Ally's casket at the funeral." She glared over her shoulder at them."They think this is proof that you stole Ally's remains. That you're working with A." Emily shook her head. "I tried to tell them it was crazy and to back off…."

"No, Emily. It's okay." Paige stepped forward to Spencer. "Do yo have it?" She extended her hand. "Let me see it."

Spencer reached in her pocket and produced the piece of jewelry. She held it out for Paige to see but didn't give it to her. It was the only hard evidence she had.

Paige squinted at it and sighed. "The other day I walked Emily to work. I was leaving the Brew and this girl slammed into me. I dropped my books on the sidewalk. When I bent down to pick them up I found the earring. I looked up to give it to her but she was already gone. I dropped it in my bag in case I saw her again I could give it back." She looked at the the girls. " I swear to God that's the truth."

"This girl" Spencer narrowed her eyes at her. "What did she look like?"

"Um...I didn't get a look at her face. She was moving fast. Blonde hair I think and she was wearing a bright red coat." Paige answered and took in the sharp knowing glances from the other girls.

Hannah stepped in from of them. "Spencer, look." She held up Paige's phone and showed her the text A had sent her.

"That doesn't mean anything!" Spencer argued but her conviction about Paige's guilt was starting to crack. "She could have sent that text to herself."

Emily reached in and grabbed Paige's phone reading the message for herself. "You got this yesterday? Paige, why didn't you tell me?"

"I was trying to protect you" Paige saw the worry in Emily's face.

Emily whirled back on Spencer. "Are you satisfied Spence? This has gone far enough!" Emily turned and put a hand around Paige's waist. "We're leaving."

"Wait" Spencer wasn't willing to let it go. She couldn't admit she was wrong. "Just answer this...why did you hate Alison so much?" Even though she had heard the story from Cece she needed to hear Paige's version.

Emily gripped Paige tighter and tried to keep walking away. "Paige," she said softly. "You don't have to answer that. You don't owe them an explanation."

"No." Paige turned back. "I want to. They should know."


	3. Chapter 3

Emily held Paige's hand and laced their fingers together as they turned back toward the group. Spencer still looked defiant but not as bloodthirsty. Aria and Hannah wore matching expressions of concern and curiosity.

Paige looked at Emily for support and took a deep breath. Having recently told the story, having the memories so near the surface and having begun, with Emily's help, the healing process from her toxic relationship with Alison DiLaurentis the words came out smoothly. Nevertheless, Paige swallowed thickly and a couple of times and had to fight back tears as for the second time in as many days she confessed her near constant torment and her shame at Alison's hands and what she was capable of doing to herself by her own.

When she finished speaking Emily squeezed her hand fiercely and held her close. She was furious with her friends for putting Paige through this. Hadn't she been through enough? Emily eyed them each in turn. Aria's eyes were bright with unshed tears. Hannah looked anywhere but Paige and Emily and, despite everything, Spencer still looked like she had something to say about it.

Paige could tell too. "What, Spencer? What do you want to ask me?"

"There was something Alison said...a time in gym class...she had this nasty bruise on her back?" Spencer didn't sound as confident as she tried to seem.

Paige let out a small laugh. "I remember. I bet she told she told you I did it on purpose, too?"

"Did you?"

"No." Paige sighed. "We were playing soccer for god sakes. She fell and I went after the ball. I'm competitive but it was an accident. I tried to apologize but...well, you can imagine how that went."

"Alison would have considered an apology as a sign of weakness." This from Hannah.

"What did she do?" Aria chimed in.

"Paige, you don't have to keep talking about this. It's no one's business but yours." Emily was getting protective again.

"No, it's okay, Em. There's more." Paige closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them to look at Emily's worried face. "More than I told you the other night."

"A few days after the accident in gym class there was a note in my locker." Paige licked her lips as her mouth had suddenly gone completely dry. She glanced at Emily. "From...um...a girl in our class. In it he told me she had feelings for me. It was...um...explicit. She asked if I felt the same. If I did would I leave a note under the sandwich board in front of the sports clothes shop in town?"

"What did you do?" Hannah and Aria asked in unison.

"I wrote back." Paige seemed to smile, at first, at the memory and then cringed at the thought of what happened next. "I did feel the same...since the moment I first saw her. I put it all down on paper and I left the letter where she asked."

"Wait. Isn't anyone going to ask?" Hannah couldn't help herself. "Who wrote the letter?"

"Hannah!" Emily, Spencer and Aria admonished simultaneously.

"What?" Hannah looked at them. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Paige took a breath. Paige gripped Emily's hand tighter but couldn't meet her eyes. "The letter was from... Emily." She spoke so softly she could barely hear herself.

The silence seemed to drag on forever. Aria, Spencer and Hannah stared at Emily and Paige stared at the ground.

Finally Emily said. "Paige….I never wrote you any letter."

Paige did laugh this time. Loud and bitter. "Don't I know it, Em." She looked at her now and Emily could see the anger flashing in her eyes. "Alison wrote it to me on your stationery. I don't know how she knew I liked you like that when I didn't even know myself but she did."

"Alison knew things" Spencer made a sweeping gesture with her arm. "about all of us that we weren't necessarily aware of. You're not alone there, Paige." Spencer actually sounded compassionate.

"Anyway, when I went to leave my letter to Emily as instructed Alison was there. She grabbed it and threatened to tell everyone. To tell my father." Paige's words were coming fast and harsh now. "I was furious and humiliated and so scared about how she was going to use this against me." She gestured to Emily. "Not to mention I didn't know then if anything in Emily's letter was even true." Paige couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "I mean….I guess I knew it wasn't but it was all so confusing."

Emily's voice was soft. "Paige, I am so sorry. I had no idea that happened. I never would have let Alison do that to you."

"I doubt that, Emily." Paige said bitterly. "I didn't know her like you did but I get the impression Alison did whatever she wanted. Besides, you didn't even know me. Why would you have cared?" Paige didn't mean for her words to come out harshly and could tell she had hurt Emily.

Silence hung in the air again and was shattered by a yell and someone crashing through the woods at a run.

The girls all turned towards the noise. "Oh my God. Caleb!" Hannah yelled and took off toward the treeline.


	4. Chapter 4

The girls caught up to Hannah just as Caleb came stumbling through the trees rubbing the back of his head.

"Caleb, are you alright? What happened?" Hannah put an arm around him and helped him walk back toward the path.

"Um...yeah...I think so. I don't know really. I was just hanging out...um...giving you guys some privacy to talk. You know and keeping my eyes out." He rubbed the back of his head again. "Someone hit me from behind and pushed me down. By the time I got up they had grabbed Maya's bag and were gone." He looked at all of them guiltily. "I'm sorry. I tried to go after them but he was dressed head to toe in black. I've no idea who it was or where he went."

"Now, we lost the bag, too?" Spencer barked. "Great! Now we're back where we started."

Hannah looked at her friend sharply. "Caleb, it's okay. We're just glad you're okay."

"Thanks, Han." Caleb reached into his pocket and pulled out a battered yellow envelope." I found this though, on the trail. He must have dropped it when he ran." He held it out and they could all see Emily's name written in large block letters in the front.

Spencer grabbed it out of Caleb's hand and started to open it. Paige stepped forward "Oh, my God." She breathed.

Before anyone could stop her Spencer had opened it and began to read. Paige stood stricken and speechless for a moment before turning and sprinting away back down the path.

"Paige, wait!" Emily called after her but she was already out of sight. Emily rounded on her friends. "Stop!" Her voice cracked like a whip and brought all of them to wide eyed attention. Emily had never felt such anger towards her friends and she didn't try to stop it now. "Don't you dare!"

She snatched the letter out of Spencer's hands and carefully, without looking at it, folded it and put it back in the envelope. "I can't believe you. All of you. I get how desperate you are to find answers. I need to know, too. This thing with A...this is happening to all of us." She looked at each of them in turn. "But what you did here tonight. What you put Paige through...I don't even have the words." She hung her head and sighed feeling tremendously sad. When she looked back up even Spencer looked ashamed. "My friends would have trusted me. My friends would never have lied to me and with the possible exception of Ali, my friends could never have been so cruel."

"Emily" Aria stepped forward. "We're so sorry. We were wrong...we were totally wrong about Paige." She reached out and placed her hand on Emily's arm. "What can we do?" Aria looked from Hannah to Spencer. "Tell us what we can do to make this up to you?"

"It's not me you need to make it up to." Emily turned and jogged up the path.

Emily slowed as she neared the main entrance and saw Paige leaning against her car. Her head hung down and her arms were crossed over her middle as if she were trying to keep herself warm.

Emily walked up to her and gently tilted her head up so she could look her. "Are you alright? I thought you'd be halfway home by now."

Paige gave the barest whisper of a laugh. "I forgot I rode my bike here...like an idiot. It's back there and I didn't feel like going back for it." She smiled sadly. "And, anyway...I didn't want to be alone."

Emily returned her smile and kissed her lips softly before wrapping her arms around her in a hug she hoped conveyed all the love and admiration she felt for her.

"Will you take me home?" Paige asked softly.

"Of course. Are your parents going to be worried?" Emily replied.

Paige laughed softly again. "My parents aren't even in town." She looked sheepish. "Sorry I lied to you yesterday about the family stuff."

Emily reached around her and opened the passenger door guiding Paige in. "Let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

They rode the entire way in silence with Emily glancing at Paige in the passenger seat frequently looking for some sign, some expression as to how she was feeling. Paige just stared blankly out the window.

Emily pulled up in front of Paige's house and shut the car off waiting for Paige to give some indication what she needed. After nearly a minute of continued silence Paige unclicked her seatbelt and, staring straight ahead, spoke quietly for the first time. "Will you come in?"

Emily exhaled slowly. "Yes."

Paige went directly upstairs without turning on any lights and headed for the bathroom. She needed a shower in the worst possible way. She needed to scrub away the dirt and debris from Alison's grave and along with it, perhaps, her humiliation at what had happened tonight. She wanted Emily here but she wasn't ready to talk to her, to look her in the eye. She had never felt so exposed and emotionally wrung out.

Emily stood for a few minutes in Paige's room. She heard the shower running and sensed that Paige just needed some time to collect herself. She called her mother to let her know she was staying over at Aria's. Despite everything she knew her friend would cover for her if asked.

Emily took her shoes and her jacket off and draped it over a chair. She carefully removed Paige's letter and held it in her hands. She smiled a little at the adolescent printing on the envelope. She couldn't believe Paige wrote this to her three years ago. Emily climbed onto to the bed and sat cross legged in the middle with the envelope in front of her. She clasped her hands underneath her chin and tried to think back to early high school, back when Ali was still alive. She tried to remember Paige back then, to any interactions they might have had. She could pull up fleeting images of Paige in class, in hallways, at swim practice but Paige was right. She didn't know her at all. Back then Emily was so wrapped up in Alison's world and in her love for her she wouldn't have noticed a herd of elephants parading through the halls. She felt badly that she hadn't noticed Paige's attraction but she didn't know why.

Emily was so deep in her musings she didn't hear Paige until she was standing in the room, her skin scrubbed pink from the shower, toweling off her wet hair. Emily looked at her dressed in a t-shirt and shorts and smiled. She always liked looking at Paige. The smooth lines of her body, sleek muscles moving under her pale skin. She loved the way she moved with confidence and grace.

Paige gave a small smile back at her and froze when she saw the letter on the bed in front of Emily. She licked her lips and turned to hang the wet towel over the back of a chair. "Did you read it?" She turned back around to face her.

"No." Came the soft reply.

"Why not? It's to you." Paige waited. Standing at the foot of the bed.

"It's not to me, Paige." Emily looked sad. "It's to a version of me that didn't exist then."

Paige looked down at her hands and fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt considering Emily's words. Then she climbed onto the bed and crossed her legs across from Emily. They were so close their knees almost touched and the letter sat unopened between them.

"It doesn't matter, Em." Paige moved to grasp Emily's hands in her own tracing small circles on the backs of hands with her thumbs. "I wrote this letter, not as much in response to the Alison version of you, but to the you you. The you I saw and admired….and wanted... every day." She looked at her. "You should read it. I want you to."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Paige leaned in for a soft kiss. "Just don't laugh. I don't think my 14 year old self could take it right now." the last said with a small smile.

Emily held her eyes as she reached for the letter.


	6. Chapter 6

Emily read the letter through over again not moving it from the spot on the bed. Like she was afraid to touch it. She breathed slowly and could smell Paige's scent so near her. Soap from her shower and something else. Something rich and earthy. Sandalwood, maybe. She pictured Paige writing this letter. Hunched over at her desk with her best pen. The wastebasket next to her over flowing with discarded versions. Copies that weren't quite right, had mistakes or loops on an L that weren't perfect. Stopping her writing periodically to stare out the window unseeing. Struggling to put into words, the perfect words, feelings and desires that couldn't be expressed by someone so young and inexperienced. She knew what this looked like because she had written a letter like this herself. To Alison. The words were different, of course, but the emotions were similar. Emily couldn't help the single tear that dropped onto the paper.

"Paige" she breathed finally. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Came the soft reply as she met Emily's gaze.

"I don't know." Emily gestured to the letter. "That it couldn't have been like this for you. That I couldn't have been there for you." Emily could hear the frustration in her voice. " That the last few years have been so hard. I can't help but feel responsible." She dropped her head no longer being able to look at her.

"It's okay, Em. I don't blame you." Paige furrowed her brow. "Well, I guess I did for a long time. I was so angry and ashamed. I was angry at you and then you came out and well, you already know how well I handled that." Paige gave a small sound of disgust thinking back on her awful behavior and how she had treated Emily. Paige hooked a finger gently under Emily's chin and lifted her head to look at her. "But it's like this for me now. If I wished for things to have gone differently then maybe we wouldn't be here now." She leaned in and kissed Emily on the lips. Gently at first and then more urgently before she pulled away. "And here now is exactly where I want to be."

Emily smiled and looked at her from under her eyelashes in the way she knew drove Paige crazy. "I was so amazed by you tonight."

Paige threw her head back and laughed "Really? What part impressed you the most? When I fell into an empty grave and you had to rescue me? When I sniveled my way through the confessions of all my teenage angst? Or, I know, when I forgot my bike and had to beg a ride home. That was what sealed the deal wasn't it?" Paige shook her head and laughed at her own self mocking.

Emily leaned in and placed her hands on Paige's knees. "Paige, I'm serious." She couldn't help but laugh a little, too. "Stop laughing. I'm trying to tell you how wonderful I think you are."

"Oh, okay. Sorry." Paige stifled a few more giggles. "Go ahead." She managed to straighten out her face but couldn't hide the twinkle in her eyes.

"My friends were wrong about you. They know that now. The way you stood up to them was amazing. I just can't believe how strong you are." Emily took a breath and grasped Paige's hands in her own. "You have every reason to be hateful and bitter over all that's happened and you're not. You're thankful for what you have and hopeful for what is to come and it's just one of the many things I love about you."

Paige looked hard into Emily's eyes. "Thanks, Em. That means a lot to hear you say that. It's not easy all the time. To be okay with everything that's happened but, you know, it's in the past and I can't live with all that self hatred and self doubt anymore. It was eating me alive." She paused. " I need to know something from you though." She looked at Emily seriously. "I need you to be honest."

Emily gripped her hands tighter. "Anything."

A spark flared in Paige's eyes and she fought to keep a straight face. "Is one of the other things you love about me my body?"

Emily cracked up. "Oh, my, God!" She flopped back onto the bed with her arms over her head. "You're impossible!"

Paige, seeing her opportunity, moved to stretch herself out along Emily's body supporting herself on her arms and crumpling the letter beneath her along the way. She reached a hand up to stroke the side of Emily's face and, her heart racing like it was the first time, leaned in for a kiss full of possibility and promise.

Paige pulled away and slipped her hand beneath Emily's shirt brushing her smooth skin with her fingertips, feeling her tremble slightly at the touch. Emily gasped softly and gripped the back of Paige's head bringing her down until their lips met again. The last three hours and the last three years were forgotten and the letter lay ruined beneath them by the time they fell asleep, arms and legs intertwined.


	7. Chapter 7

Paige came slowly awake to someone tracing lazy finger designs along her back and arms. "Mmmmm, don't stop. Ever." She said, her voice gravelly with sleep. She rolled over into the arms of Emily Fields. "So, it wasn't a dream after all." She kissed her deeply then pulled away to look at her. "God, how do you look so good first thing in the morning?" She touched the tangled mess that was her own hair. It was sticking out at such crazy angles she could see it out of the corner of her eye.

Emily looked her over. "You look good to me." She kissed her again. "I'd like to think I had something to do with your morning's style but I think you can probably blame it on going to bed with wet hair."

Paige pulled her close again. "I'm pretty sure you had everything to do with how I look right now…. and definitely how I feel." Their lips met while hands roamed up and down the length of each other.

Then the doorbell. "What the hell?" Paige lifted her head. She heard it again. "No. No. No. Not now."

Emily stopped and looked at her. "Who is that? It's" she rolled to look at the clock. "7:43 on Sunday morning."

Paiged yelled a stream of muffled expletives into her pillow. When she came up for air she sighed. "It's probably the little lunatics next door. I bet they threw their stupid ball into the pool again." She started to get up and hunt around for some clothes.

"Can't you just ignore them? Maybe they'll go away." Emily pouted.

"No. What they'll probably do" Paige dragged a shirt over her head. "is try to get it themselves" She pulled on her shorts from last light. "and I don't think letting an 8 year old kid drown in my backyard is going to look very good on my college application." She stood next to the bed looking longingly at Emily highlighted by the sun streaming in through the blinds and barely covered by the sheet. She leaned in to kiss her. " I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't. Go. Anywhere."

As soon as Paige was out the door Emily got up to look out the window. She wanted to see firsthand her competition for her girlfriend's company. She peered down to the front steps and swore under her breath. "Paige, wait!"

Paige ran down the steps and threw the door open. She blinked in the sunlight a few times to make sure she was seeing things right. "Seriously?"

"Is this a bad time?" Spencer Hastings balanced a tray of coffee and tried for her cheeriest expression.

Aria held out a box of baked goods. "We brought pastries." She smiled uncertainly.

Hanna stared open mouthed. "Oh, my, God! What's with your hair?" She pointed at Paige's chest. "And is that Emily's shirt?"

Before Paige could answer Emily came rushing down the stairs behind her after having managed to find Paige's warm up suit to wear. "What the hell are you guys doing here?!" Emily exclaimed.

"Ummm, breakfast?" Hannah looked at Aria and Spencer for support.

"Look, Em, Paige" Spencer looked at each of them. "we just came to talk….to apologize."

"I've heard that before." Emily scowled at them and crossed her arms.

"No, Em." Spencer tried again. "For real. Can we just" She motioned to the door. "can we come in for a few minutes?"

Emily placed a hand on Paige's shoulder and squeezed. "Up to you, Paige."

Paige stared at them incredulously. "God, your timing sucks." She pushed the door open wide and turned to lead them all into the kitchen.

Paige took up a position standing behind the large granite island in order to put some space between herself and the other girls.

Spencer and Aria set the coffee and box of pastries on the kitchen table in front of the large bay window and each took a chair. Spencer picked up a coffee and approached Paige with it. "I didn't know how you take it." She set it down on the counter in front of Paige, like the proverbial olive branch, along with a handful of creamers and various sweeteners.

Paige stared at her. She wanted to make this hard for them, for Spencer in particular, but, in the end didn't think making an already difficult situation worse by being stubborn and unforgiving was going to help anything. Paige knew how much Emily needed her friends. She wanted to give them a chance to make things right. She wanted them to respect her relationship with Emily and to not be afraid and suspicious of her all the time. She wanted, more than anything, for Emily to feel safe with them again. She started by picking up the coffee. "Just cream." She replied as she tore open the little cup. "Thanks." she added.

Silence hung in the air as the girls looked awkwardly around. For a bunch so sure of themselves last night they, obviously, hadn't planned this out very well.

"Sooooo…." Hanna said with a shrug as she looked from Paige to Emily. "it looks like your night didn't end all that badly."

Aria choked on her coffee. "Oh, my, God, Hanna!" She spluttered.

Emily blushed fiercely and glared daggers at her friend while Paige stood speechless, her coffee halfway to her mouth.

"What?" Hanna asked innocently. "It's not like we all don't know how you get hair like that." She pointed at Paige.

Emily stood up, clearly losing her patience and included them all in her gaze. "You need to say what you came here to say." She snapped at them.

Spencer took a deep breath. "Listen, Paige, I know what happened last night, what we did to you, was inexcusable. "I am..."

"We are." Interrupted Aria.

Spencer nodded at both Hanna and Aria before continuing. "We are so sorry we hurt you. And you too, Em. It's just that this thing with A has had us all twisting for so long we never know who to trust, who is really our friend and who is secretly working against us." Spencer trailed off.

"Paige," Aria spoke. "I hope you'll appreciate that we were only doing what we thought we had to to protect Emily. She's been through so much lately and we all just wanted to keep her safe."

"From me." Paige added.

"Well, yes" Aria fiddled with the tab on the lid to her coffee. "and we were wrong. We were really, really wrong and we feel like…."

"Like shit." Hanna chimed in.

"Yeah, thanks, Han." Spencer said.

"I get it." Paige said. "I do. I know Emily has been through alot and I know I have been a part of that and not all in a good way…"

"Paige" Emily interrupted. "don't make this your fault."

"No, Em, I'm not." Paige continued. "But I kept things from you, from all of you, about my past with Alison. We all know I was completely out of control for a while. You had reason to be suspicious of me."

"Maybe." Agreed Spencer. "But we were still way out of line."

"You were right, Em," Added Hanna. " what you said Friday morning at Spencer's about A always playing us off each other. He...she...they...have been doing that from day one and we fell for it like chumps."

"Again." Spencer and Aria added in unison.

Paige set her coffee down and came out from around the island to lean against it facing the girls. "You know, what happened last night" She seemed to consider her words carefully. "wasn't much fun for me."

Spencer opened her mouth to speak and Paige raised a hand to stop her. "Let me finish." She took a deep breath. "But I've been through worse and come out the other side a better person for it." Paige looked at Emily who smiled encouragement. "The hardest part, when everything was happening between me and Alison, the absolute hardest part was that I didn't have anyone to talk to. I didn't have any friends I could trust and confide in." She looked at each of them in turn. "I didn't have what you all have." She paused to let that sink in for a moment.

"I don't know all the details about what's been going on the last year and I don't need to know." She looked at Emily now. "I do know this though, that you'll be stronger together."

"Yeah." Hanna said softly nodding her head.

Aria reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "Yeah."

Spencer locked eyes with Emily. "Yeah."

Emily looked at her friends. Tears pricked behind her eyes and she gave them a lopsided smile. "Yeah." She whispered.

"Great!" Paige clapped her hands together. "Well, my work here is done." She grabbed the box of sweets off the table and headed out of the room. "I'm going back to bed. You all" Paige looked back over her shoulder at Aria, Spencer and Hanna. "I should say, you three can show yourselves out?" She amended before she disappeared up the stairs.

Aria stood on her toes and threw her arms around Emily's neck in a fierce hug. "We're going to be okay." She whispered.

Spencer, still feeling a bit shy with her friend, grabbed her hand and squeezed. "We'll talk more later."

Hanna punched her in the shoulder and winked. "Go get 'em, Tiger!"

After the door closed behind them Emily took the stairs two at a time.


End file.
